Genesis 44

1 And Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill their sacks with corn, as much as they can hold: and put the money of every one in the top of his sack.

Then he gave orders to the servant who was over his house, saying, Put as much food into the men's bags as will go into them, and put every man's money in the mouth of his bag;

2 And in the mouth of the younger’s sack put my silver cup, and the price which he gave for the wheat. And it was so done.

And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said.

3 And when the morning arose, they were sent away with their asses.

And at dawn the men, with their asses, were sent away.

4 And when they were now departed out of the city, and had gone forward a little way; Joseph sending for the steward of his house, said: Arise, and pursue after the men: and when thou hast overtaken them, say to them: Why have you returned evil for good?

And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?

5 The cup which you have stolen is that in which my lord drinketh, and in which he is wont to divine: you have done a very evil thing.

Is not this the cup from which my lord takes wine and by which he gets knowledge of the future? Truly, you have done evil.

6 He did as he had commanded him. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them the same words.

So he overtook them and said these words to them.

7 And they answered: Why doth our lord speak so, as though thy servants had committed so heinous a fact?

And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:

8 The money, that we found in the top of our sacks, we brought back to thee from the land of Chanaan: how then should it be that we should steal out of thy lord’s house, gold or silver?

See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 With whomsoever of thy servants shall be found that which thou seekest, let him die, and we will be the bondmen of my lord.

If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.

10 And he said to them: Let it be according to your sentence: with whomsoever it shall be found, let him be my servant, and you shall be blameless.

And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible.

11 Then they speedily took down their sacks to the ground, and every man opened his sack.

Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.

12 Which when he had searched, beginning at the eldest and ending at the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.

13 Then they rent their garments, and loading their asses again, returned into the town.

Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.

14 And Juda at the head of his brethren went in to Joseph, (for he was not yet gone out of the place), and they altogether fell down before him on the ground.

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was still there: and they went down on their faces before him.

15 And he said to them: Why would you do so? know you not that there is no one like me in the science of divining.

And Joseph said, What is this thing which you have done? had you no thought that such a man as I would have power to see what is secret?

16 And Juda said to him: What shall we answer my lord? or what shall we say, or be able justly to allege? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are all bondmen to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.

And Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.

17 Joseph answered: God forbid that I should do so: he that stole the cup, he shall be my bondman: and go you away free to your father.

Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace.

18 Then Juda coming nearer, said boldly: I beseech thee, my lord, let thy servant speak a word in thy ears, and be not angry with thy servant: for after Pharao thou art,

Then Judah came near him, and said, Let your servant say a word in my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be burning against your servant: for you are in the place of Pharaoh to us.

19 My lord. Thou didst ask thy servants the first time: Have you a father or a brother?

My lord said to his servants, Have you a father or a brother?

20 And we answered thee, my lord: We have a father an old man, and a young boy, that was born in his old age; whose brother by the mother is dead: and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him tenderly.

And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.

21 And thou saidst to thy servants: Bring him hither to me, and I will set my eyes on him.

And you said to your servants, Let him come down to me with you, so that I may see him.

22 We suggested to my lord: The boy cannot leave his father: for if he leave him, he will die.

And we said to my lord, His father will not let him go; for if he went away his father would come to his death.

23 And thou saidst to thy servants: Except your youngest brother come with you, you shall see my face no more.

But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come with you, you will not see my face again.

24 Therefore when we were gone up to thy servant our father, we told him all that my lord had said.

And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.

25 And our father said: Go again, and buy us a little wheat.

And our father said, Go again and get us a little food.

26 And we said to him: We cannot go: if our youngest brother go down with us, we will set out together: otherwise, without him we dare not see the man’s face.

And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.

27 Whereunto he answered: You know that my wife bore me two.

And our father said to us, You have knowledge that my wife gave me two sons;

28 One went out, and you said: A beast devoured him: and hitherto he appeareth not.

The one went away from me, and I said, Truly he has come to a violent death; and from that time I have not seen him,

29 If you take this also, and any thing befall him in the way you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (Sheol h7585)

If now you take this one from me, and some evil comes to him, you will make my grey head go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

30 Therefore if I shall go to thy servant our father, and the boy be wanting, (whereas his life dependeth upon the life of him, )

If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,

31 And he shall see that he is not with us, he will die, and thy servants shall bring down his gray hairs with sorrow unto hell. (Sheol h7585)

When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

32 Let me be thy proper servant, who took him into my trust, and promised, saying: If I bring him not again, I will be guilty of sin against my father for ever.

For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

33 Therefore I thy servant will stay instead of the boy in the service of my lord, and let the boy go up with his brethren.

So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.

34 For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I be a witness of the calamity that will oppress my father.

For how may I go back to my father without the boy, and see the evil which will come on my father?